That makes sense!
The ministers nodded in agreement, finding the idea increasingly plausible.
If you connect these things together, even some things that were previously inexplicable can be explained.
Given how the imperial court treated Li Sanjiang, it would be strange if his people didn't harbor resentment.
This explains why the pirates didn't attack Xiliang.
After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and these pirates also wanted to use Lin Yi to relieve their pressure.
"This..."
After figuring this out, everyone's gazes turned strange; the Emperor had gotten himself into a huge mess.
From then on, this coastal region would face the threat and attacks of pirates, with endless troubles to come.
"Remnants of the Prince of Min?"
Qin Li's face stiffened. If it really was Li Sanjiang's descendant who made the move, then there was no possibility of reconciliation.
Except for the prince who was away, the rest of Li Sanjiang's family were secretly killed. Such a deep-seated hatred is definitely not something that can be easily forgiven.
Thinking of this, he said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, regardless of who the other side is, the most urgent task is to strengthen the security of several important coastal towns. These areas cannot be lost!"
Matters are categorized by importance and urgency, and there are also key towns along this coastal area.
Especially along the Min River, there are several important towns, all of which are wealthy and resource-rich. If pirates were to invade, the losses would be considerable.
"Granted!"
Li Anlan nodded. The Great Ning Navy is currently too weak to protect such a large area. The current issue is to protect the larger and smaller territories.
This choice is easy: just go for the big win!
He knows his own family's affairs best. If this matter was truly the work of Li Sanjiang's remnants, then there is basically no possibility of reconciliation.
After all, the various crimes that Li Sanjiang was accused of were all nonsense. The truth was that he wanted to kill Li Sanjiang, so the other party would definitely not let it go.
However, judging from the pirate attack, I didn't make a mistake in killing him; Li Sanjiang was indeed plotting something sinister.
If we hadn't struck first, we might have been caught off guard in the future.
He couldn't help but mutter, " Li Sanjiang, you've been hiding your true colors well!"
"Your Majesty, what about the ransom this time? Some fishermen simply can't afford it," a minister hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and speaking.
really!
Upon hearing this, Li Anlan's expression instantly turned grim.
He was naturally unwilling to pay for it, since the powerful families had taken the lion's share when the money was made, and now he was being asked to foot the bill? There was no such thing as a All Under Heaven.
He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I will certainly not abandon the people of Great Ning. This time, I will allocate five million strings of cash to redeem those fishermen and civilians."
ah?
Everyone's lips twitched. Five million wasn't even a fraction of what the other party was asking for, yet they were talking about it with such righteous indignation.
The Emperor is planning to have the aristocratic families foot the bill.
Li Anlan didn't care what they thought and continued, "This problem also revealed the shortcomings of the navy. I have decided to increase investment in the navy so that in the future it can not only protect the coastal areas, but also enter the ocean again!"
However, until a navy is fully established, ocean fishing must be temporarily abandoned.
ah!
The people below were wailing in despair. They had finally found a way to make money, and now it had been shut down. This was too tragic.
Only a few major families had their eyes gleaming; this investment in the navy meant they were about to divide the spoils!
Xiliang Commandery!
After the East Sea naval battle ended, Lin Yi quickly received feedback from the system and couldn't help but smile. It seemed that the navy's first battle against Great Ning went very smoothly!
Open the system!
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully defeating your opponent with martial prowess and achieving victory in the naval battle. You have killed Zhan Shunyu of the Great Ning Navy. Rewards include Huang Gai, a famous general of Eastern Wu, 6,000 Eastern Wu Navy, and 20 top-tier warships of Great Ning."
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully subduing Yang Yulong of the Yang Clan with your martial prowess. You are rewarded with the title of Gu Yong, a renowned minister of Eastern Wu, and one hundred management talents."
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully subduing Zhao Feiyun of the Zhao Clan with your martial prowess. You are rewarded with the complete guide to building centipede ships and have acquired one thousand shipbuilding talents."
"Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully subduing merchant Zhang Fang with your martial prowess. Reward: Great Ning Map."
"..."
The rewards this time were substantial, and it took quite a while for them to stop. However, the rewards for ordinary boatmen and fishermen were not high, so Lin Yi simply ignored them.
However, a few key rewards really caught his eye!
Gu Yong, a renowned minister of Eastern Wu!
Lin Yi was somewhat excited. He hadn't expected that such a small battle would actually bring him Gu Yong, a man of great talent in governing the country.
Gu Yong was a cautious, meticulous, selfless, and exceptionally capable man. He was a model of diligence in both his work and his personal conduct, which is why he was able to serve as the Eastern Wu nineteen years.
This is truly an extraordinary thing!
Why do I say this? Because there is a "Prime Minister Curse" in Eastern Wu, where those who serve as prime ministers generally do not have a good ending.
Sun Shao, Lu Xun, Bu Zhi, and Zhu Ju —these were all Eastern Wu, but none of them met a good end.
Bu Zhi died in despair!
Zhu Ju was framed and killed by a villain!
Lu Xun, a renowned minister comparable to Zhou Yu, was so angered by Sun Quan's scolding that he nearly died.
Gu Yong served as prime minister for nineteen years and died a natural death, which is enough to prove that his abilities were absolutely top-notch.
Moreover, his gentle, fair, and selfless nature, coupled with his lack of greed for fame and fortune, made him an excellent choice to complement Guan Yu's personality.
Although Guan Yu came from the system, it is clear that his personality has not changed at all, which is a fatal flaw, so someone needs to cool him down at crucial moments.
With a strong support like Gu Yong, Guan Yu's sword could be made even sharper and easier to wield.
It only injures the enemy, not itself.
Gu Yong's ability to govern the country is beyond doubt. Placing him as prime minister on Sea Liang Island would undoubtedly allow the Sea Liang Island to be well-governed and the maritime power to develop further.
Sea Liang Island is developing very well now and needs a minister to oversee it, so Gu Yong's arrival is just in time.
But here's the problem: Yang Yulong from the Yang Clan actually managed to recruit Gu Yong. It seems this person is no ordinary individual; he certainly has some ability.
Then there's Zhan Shunyu, the naval commander!
After killing him, all we got was Huang Gai, a famous general of Eastern Wu, and six thousand Eastern Wu Navy. It seems that the navy of Great Ning has truly declined.
As for those twenty Great Ning warships, they were probably dropped by Great Ning Navy warships.
What a pity!
Otherwise, even if you can't get Zhou Yu and Lu Xun, you can at least get Lü Meng.